Adhesive strip suture



Sept. 24, 1968 T. R. BAXTER 3,402,716

ADHESIVE STRIP SUTURE Filed Jan. 30, 1964 I 7/ my A ,NVENTOR- THOMASR..EAXTER J21? @MQ;

United States Patent Oifice 3,402,716 Patented Sept. 24, 1968 3,402,716ADHESIVE STRIP SUTURE Thomas R. Baxter, Mount Vernon, Ohio, assignor toSurgical Devices, Mount Vernon, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Jan.30, 1964, Ser. No. 341,338 Claims. (Cl. 128-335) The present inventionrelates to means for securing opposite side edges of a body wound orincision together. Means used for such a purpose are commonly calledsutures.

The type of suture with which we are concerned comprises a backing stripthat is coated with an adhesive which sticks the backing strip securelyto the surface of the body on opposite sides of a wound or incision. Itis necessary to protect the adhesive from exposure to bacteria and dirtto keep the adhesive sterile and also prevent the adhesive from becomingcoated with foreign objects which prevents the adhesive from sticking tothe body. A protective strip is therefore used to cover the adhesive andprevent either of the above mentioned harmful results from occurring.

There have been produced heretofore bandages having a backing stripprojecting on opposite sides of a gauze pad. The portions of the backingstrip which are positioned on opposite sides of the gauge pad are coatedwith an adhesive, and in one arrangement a single protective stripcovers the entire backing strip with the ends of the protective stripbeing conterminous with the ends of the adhesive. With such anarrangement, it is necessary to insert a fingernail or other objectbetween the adhesive and protective strip in order to separate theprotective strip from the adhesive layer. This is difficult, timeconsuming, and impossible for a surgeon wearing rubber gloves.

In another arrangement the adhesive coated portions on opposite sides ofthe gauze pad have been covered with separate protective strips whichoverlap in the region of the gauze pad. With such a structure it isnecessary to first expose a portion of the adhesive adjacent the centerof the backing strip. If the portion which is first exposed is thenstuck to the body before the remainder of the adhesive covering thatportion of the backing strip is removed, the portion of the backingstrip from which the protective strip is being removed is stretched in adirection away from the wound. This cannot be used to accomplish thepurposes of the present invention, as will later become clear. If theprotective strip is totally removed from one side portion of the backingstrip, the backing strip may buckle so that portions of the adhesivestick together and the portion that is stuck together is thereafterdifiicult to straighten.

An object of the present invention is the provision of a new andimproved suture comprising: a backing strip having a transverselyextending weakened area spaced from one end of the backing strip,adhesive covering the portion of said backing strip adjacent and spacedto the opposite end from the weakened area and with the portion spacedtoward said end from said weakened area being free of adhesive, and aprotective strip covering said adhesive, whereby the uncoated portion ofthe backing strip can be easily detached from the portion containing theadhesive after the portion of the backing strip coated with adhesive isstuck to the body.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a new and improvesuture of the above described type wherein the protective strip is arelatively stiff material which remains substantially planar when thebacking strip is peeled back away from the protective strip to permiteasy separation of the protective strip from the backing strip.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a new and improvedsuture of the above described type wherein the ends of the relativelystiff protective strip are substantially conterminous with the oppositeedges of the adhesive to permit the end of the backing strips to beeasily grasped.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a suture ofthe generally above described type having a protective strip which canbe doubled back under itself after an end of the adhesive coated backingstrip has been stuck to the body, and in which the backing strip is madefrom a resilient material having elastic memory and which isprogressively stretched as the protective strip is pulled back off ofthe backing strip.

Further objects and advantages will become apparent to those skilled inthe art to which the invention relates from the following description ofthe preferred embodiment described with reference to the accompanyingdrawing forming a part of this specification, and in which:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a suture of the present invention showingthe backing strip being peeled back by the thumb and fingers of a singlehand of a user;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the suture shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the suture shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 44of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the suture being appliedto a body surface to hold opposite sides of an incision together.

The suture 10 shown in the drawing generally comprises a backing strip12 having at least one laterally extending weakened area 14 adjacent oneend of the backing strip 12. The preferred embodiment shown has weakenedareas 14 and 16 adjacent the opposite ends of the backing strip 12, andthe weakened condition of these areas is produced by at least oneperforation extending through the backing strip, and preferably two ormore perforations to form a row of the same.

According to the invention the backing strip 12 has an adhesive coating18 on the portion 20 of its undersurface that lies between the weakenedareas 14 and 16. In some instances the adhesive coating 18 need onlycover areas of the portion 20 adjacent the weakened areas 14 and 16 sothat its center portion is uncoated, but in the preferred embodiment,the adhesive coating 18 extends continuously between the weakened areas14 and 16. The portions 22 and 24 lying outwardly of the weakened areas14 and 16, respectively, do not have an adhesive thereon.

The adhesive layer 18 is sterilized and is covered by a protective strip26 which keeps the adhesive layer 18 sterile and free of dirt andforeign material which would decrease its adhesiveness. In someinstances, the protective strip 26 may overlap one or more of theuncoated portions 22 and 24, but in the preferred embodiment, the endsof the protective strip 26 are generally conterminous with the ends ofthe adhesive layer 18.

According to further aspects of the invention, the protective strip 26is made from a semi-rigid material that is sufiiciently rigid that theprotective strip 26 remains substantially planar when the suture issupported inwardly of a projecting end portion 22 or 24 and the backingstrip 12 is peeled back over the protective strip 26. Thereafter theexposed adhesive can be pressed against the body 28 on one side of anincision 30, as shown in FIG. 5, and the protective strip 26 pulledacross the incision 30 over the surface of the body. The backing strip12 is not only folded down upon the surface of the body 28 during thisoperation, but the backing strip 12 is pulled taut during the sameoperation. The backing strip 12 is preferably of resilient elastomericmaterial having an elastic memory so that it is stretched to some extentas the protective strip 26 is pulled over the surface of the body 28.Once the backing strip has been stretched across the incision 30 andadhered to the surface of the body on opposite sides of the incision 30,the resilient nature of the elastomeric material draws and holds theopposite side surfaces of the incision 30 into tight engagement. Thesuture being now properly placed, the uncoated ends 22 and 24 of thestrip 12 may be torn away at the weakened lines 14 and 16 leaving onlythe coated portion thereof in place over the wound or incision. Thebacking strip may be made of any suitable elastic material, such as athermoplastic resin. Polyolefins, such as a mixture of polyethylene andpolypropylene, have been found to be an excellent material. The adhesivemust be one which adheres strongly to the backing strip 12 and shouldpreferably be one which can be sterilized by autoclaving. Numeroussuitable adhesives can be obtained commercially for this purpose. Theprotective strip 26 should be relatively stiff and be capable of beingremoved from the adhesive layer 18 without removing the adhesive layer18 from the backing strip 12. A silicone-treated paper that isrelatively stiff compared to the backing strip 12 has been found to giveexcellent results.

While the invention has been described in considerable detail, it is notdesired to be limited to the particular embodiment shown and described,and it is intended to cover hereby all novel adaptations, modifications,and arrangements thereof which come within the practice of those skilledin the art to which the invention relates.

What I claim is:

1. A suture comprising: an elongated flexible backing strip having apair of transversely extending weakened areas respective ones of whichare spaced inwardly from respective ends of said backing strip, a layerof adhesive covering the portions of said backing strip adjacent andspaced toward each other from said weakened areas, the portions of saidbacking strip positioned toward the ends of said backing strip from saidweakened areas being uncoated, and a relatively stiff protective stripextending between said weakened areas and covering said adhesive withthe ends of said protective strip being generally conterminous with theouter edges of said layer of adhesive, said relatively stiff protectivestrip being sufficiently stiff to remain substantially planar when saidsuture is supported inwardly of one of said weakened areas and saidelastic backing strip is peeled back away from the protective strip toachieve separation of said adhesive and said protective strip.

2. A suture comprising: an elongated flexible backing strip having apair of transverse rows of perforations respective ones of which arespaced inwardly from respective ends of said backing strip, a layer ofadhesive cover ing the portions of said backing strip adjacent andspaced toward each other from said rows of perforations with the outeredges of said adhesive being generally conterminous with saidperforations, the portions of said backing strip positioned toward theends of said backing strip from said rows of perforations beinguncoated, and a relatively stiff protective strip extending between saidrows of perforations and covering said adhesive with the ends of saidprotective strip being generally conterminous with the ends of saidlayer of adhesive, said relatively stiffprotective strip beingsufficiently stiff to remain substantially planar when said suture issupported inwardly of a row of perforations and said elastic backingstrip is peeled back away from the protective strip to achieveseparation of said adhesive and said protective strip.

3. A suture comprising: an elongated flexible backing strip having atransverselyextendingweakened area adjacent one end of said backingstrip, a layer 'ofadhesive covering the portionof said backing stripadjacentto and spaced toward the opposite end of said backing strip fromsaid weakened "area, the portion of said backing strip spaced towardsaid one end of said backing strip from said weakened area beinguncoated with adhesive, and a relatively stiff protective'st-ripcovering said adhesive with the outer edge of said protective stripbeing generally conterminous with the outer edge of said layer ofadhesive, said relatively stiff protective strip being sufficientlystiff to remain substantially planar when said suture is supportedinwardly of said weakened area and-said one end of said backing strip ispeeled back away from the protective strip to achieve separation of saidadhesive and said protective strip.

4. A suture comprising: an elongated flexible generally planar backingstrip having a transversely extending weakened area adjacent one end ofsaid backing strip, a layer of adhesive covering the portion of saidbackin strip adjacent to and spaced toward the opposite end of-sai'dbacking strip from said weakened area with the outer edge of said layerof adhesive being generally conterminous with said weakened area,theportion of said backing strip spaced toward said one end of saidbacking 'strip' from said weakened area being uncoated with adre'sive,and a protective strip covering said adhesive, and whereby said uncoatedend portion of said suture can be easily detached by breaking saidbacking strip at said weakened area after said adhesive coated backingstrip has been secured to the body.

5. A suture comprising: an elongated flexible generally planar backingstrip, a layer of adhesive on said backing strip, said adhesive beingspaced from at least one'end of said backing strip to leave a portion atsaid one'end which is uncoated with adhesive, and a relatively stiffprotective strip covering said adhesive with the outer end of saidprotective strip positioned inwardly of said'bne end of said backingstrip, said relatively stiff protective strip being sufficiently stiffto remain substantially planar when said suture is supported inwardly ofsaid uncoated end of said backing strip and said one end of said backingstrip is peeled back away from the protective strip 'to achieveseparation of said adhesive and said protective strip. I

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS I ,7 114,750 5/1871 Battersby 18-335 679,993 8/1901 Ross et al 128--155, 1,555,960 10/1925 Fuller 128-155 3,185,394 5/1965 Farrell 128 27,} X

FOREIGN PATENTS 831,401 3/1960" Grea t Brit ain.

DALTON L. TRULUCK, Printary Exa lfaea

1. A SUTURE COMPRISING: AN ELONGATED FLEXIBLE BACKING STRIP HAVING APAIR OF TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING WEAKENED AREAS RESPECTIVE ONES OF WHICHARE SPACED INWARDLY FROM RESPECTIVE ENDS OF SAID BACKING STRIP, A LAYEROF ADHESIVE COVERING THE PORTIONS OF SAID BACKING STRIP ADJACENT ANDSPACED TOWARD EACH OTHER FROM SAID WEAKENED AREAS, THE PORTIONS OF SAIDBACKING STRIP POSITIONED TOWARD THE ENDS OF SAID BACKING STRIP FROM SAIDWEAKENED AREAS BEING UNCOATED, AND A RELATIVELY STIFF PROTECTIVE STRIPEXTENDING BETWEEN SAID WEAKENED AREAS AND COVERING SAID ADHESIVE WITHTHE ENDS OF SAID PROTECTIVE STRIP BEING GENERALLY CONTERMINOUS WITH THEOUTER EDGES OF SAID LAYER OF ADHESIVE, SAID RELATIVELY STIFF PROTECTIVESTRIP BEING SUFFICIENTLY STIFF TO REMAIN SUBSTANTIALLY PLANAR WHEN SAIDSUTURE IS SUPPORTED INWARDLY OF ONE OF SAID WEAKENED AREAS AND SAIDELASTIC BACKING STRIP IS PEELED BACK AWAY FROM THE PROTECTIVE STRIP TOACHIEVE SEPARATION OF SAID ADHESIVE AND SAID PROTECTIVE STRIP.